Valve construction



1951 c. M. BREED VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 29, 1946 Elmo/ww- CARROLL M. 52550 Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to oil burners and refers more particularly to an improved valve assembly for oil burners.

The usual oil burner comprises an annular fuel reservoir, and a source of fuel supply in the form of a container or conduit. The flow of fuel from the container to the reservoir is ordinarily con trolled by a valve assembly having a manually operable valve member. The specific construction of the contror valve may vary with different makesof burners, but in practically all instances, the several parts thereof are formed of brass or some equivalent rust-resisting material.

While valve assemblies of the above general type aiiord satisfactoryservice notwithstanding moisture conditions, nevertheless, they are very costly toproduce and it is anobject of this invention to substantiallyreducethe cost ofmanufacture while maintaining at least the equivalent high standard of service by providing a valveassembly wherein only the essential parts are formedof rust-resisting materials, such forexample, as brass.

Another object of this invention is to provide avalve" assembly wherein-the several parts thereof may be easily produced by high production methods a minimum amount of equipment and may also be readily assembled.

Theforegoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a semi-diagrammatic elevationalview, partly in section, of an oil burner having a valve assembly constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Figure 2 is a-view similar-to -Figure 1 showing a modifiedform-ofconstruction.

As will be understood from the following description and the appended claims the present invention concerns itselfparticularly with the valve assembly for controlling communication between a sourceoffuel oil supplyand a reservoir of an-oi1 burner. The valve assembly may be" advantageously used in connection with any one of numerous different designs of oil burnersjand the present invention is not restricted to any one specific design. However, for the purpose of illustration, the oil burner shown in Figure l of the drawings comprises the usual inner and outer perforated tubes Ill, a lighting ring II and an annular reservoir H for receiving the lighting ring II. The reservoir [2 is adapted to receive fuel oil from a container 13 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom of the reservoir and communicating with the latter through a valve assembly 4.

The valve assembly com-prise a housing in the formof an elongated tube I5 an insert I6 and a valve member I1 the interests of economy, the-tube l5 i'spreferabi-y made of steel and is supported anin-cl'ined position. The length of the tube l-5 and the angle of inclinationis so determinedthat the upper end of the tube projects a substantial distance above thetop of the're'serv'oir l-ZL- a result, escape-of fuel oilfrom the reservoir through the open upper end of the tube 15 is avoided without the necessity of providing packing glands or equivalent expensive sealing means: As" shown Figure 1 of the drawing, the lower end of -the tubeis securedto the base ofthe res ervoi'r and isprovidedwith an opening 13 reg-is tering with anopening iri-the base of the reservoir to enable fueloil to flowfromthe tube into the reservoir;

The insert I 6 issleeved int the lower end portionof the tube I 5 and has apressed fit with the latter. If desired the insert may be fused, soldered or otherwise fixedly secured in the tube to form an integral construction. In any case, the lower endof the insert projects through an opening 2d formed in one side of the supply container l3 farenou'gh to allow the end of the tube 45- to. rest on the su'pply container, and then the tube l5 and supply'c'ontainer l 3and insert ltare" all fused together. A boreZ'i is formed through the insert and a port or opening-22 is formed in the side wall of the insert intermediate the ends thereof in a position-to register with the open'jmg i=8. Thus a fluid connection' i provided between the supply container F3 and the interior of the reservoirl2'.

It'- will also be noted from Figure I of the drawing that the outer end portion of the bore is enlarged"- to pro-vide an annular frustrOEcO iicallyshapd valve" seat 23 located between the pen-mg g2 an the supply conta er 13''. The flow of fuel oil from' thesupiqly container to the reservoir (2 is controlled by theval e merit ber 1-1- harm-g e stem 24 projecting into the tube [5 through the open upper end of the latter and terminating at the lower end in a reduced portion 25. The reduced portion "25 projects into the bore 2| of the insert, and has a diameter less than the diameter of the bore to provide a passage around the same. The lower end of the reduced portion 25 is conically shaped to engage the seat 23 and close communication between the supply container l3 and the reservoir [2. In order to prevent rusting of the valve seat and thereby seriously affecting proper operation of the burner, the insert 16 is formed of a rustresisting material, such for example, as brass.

In the present instance, the valve'stem 24 is threaded in the upper end of the bore 2| in the insert 16, and a handle or knob 26 is welded or otherwise fixed to the upper end of the valve stem to enable readily manipulating the valve. As indicated above, the upper end of the tube I projects above the reservoir I2 so that it is not necessary to provide expensive packing around the valve stem 24. Thus, it will be noted that the valve assembly is composed of a relatively few simple parts capable of being inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2 difiers principally from the one previously described in that the valve assembly 21 projects horizontally from the outer side wall of the reservoir l2. The valve assembly 21 comprises an elongated tubular casing 28, a rust-resisting insert 29 and a valve member 30. The tubular casing 28 is preferably made of steel and the insert 29 is sleeved within the irmer end of the casing 28. The inner end of the insert projects beyond the corresponding end of the tubular casing, and is provided with an internally threaded recess 3| for receiving a plug 32. The plug 32 extends into an opening formed in the outer side wall of the reservoir 12 and is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the latter wall.

As shown particularly in Figure 2 of the drawings, the plug 32 and the insert are provided with aligned passages 33. The passage 33 through the insert 29 is enlarged as at 34 to provide a frustro-conioally shaped seat 35 and an opening 36 is formed through the side wall of the insert outwardly beyond the seat 35.

A plug 31 extends through the tubular casing 28 into the opening 36 and is welded or otherwise secured to the tubular casing 28. The plug 31 is formed with a bore 38 and is threaded at the outer end for attachment toone end of a conduit 39. The opposite end of a conduit 39 has a fitting 40, and the latter is secured to one side of the supply container l3. The above arrangement provides a fluid connection between the supply container I 3 and the enlarged portion 34 of the passage 33 in the insert at a point spaced outwardly from the valve seat 35. The flow of fuel oil through the passage 33 to the reservoir I2 is controlled by a valve member 41 having a valve stem threaded in the outer end of the enlarged portion 34 of the passage 33 and having a reduced portion 42 for engaging the valve seat 35. The valve member 4| projects through the outer end of the tubular casing 28. and a knob 43 is secured thereto to enable convenient manipulation of the valve member.

Inasmuch as the outer end of the tubular casing 28 does not project above the reservoir l2, it is necessary to provide a seal 44 around the valve member in order to prevent the escape of fuel oil. The seal 44 comprises a collar 45 seated in the outer end of the tubular casing 28 against an annular shoulder 46 and having a frustro-conically shaped seat 41 at the outer side thereof. The seat 41 is engaged by a packing material 48 surrounding the valve member and held in sealing engagement with the latter by a packing nut 49. The packing nut 49 is threaded on the outer end portion of the tubular casing and may be adjusted to assure a tight seal around the valve member.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, it is preferred to form the insert 29, collar and packing nut 49 of a rust-resisting material, such for example, as brass. The remaining parts, however, may be formed from a less expensive material without seriously impairing the life and successful operation of the valve assembly.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A regulating valve assembly for oil burners, comprising a supply container having an opening through one wall, a steel tube having an opening through one side intermediate the ends thereof and positioned with the inner end abutting said wall of the container around the opening through said wall, an insert of rust resisting material secured within the inner end portion of the tube and having an axially extending bore therethrough enlarged at the outer end of the insert to provide an annular valve seat intermediate the ends of the bore, a port through one side of the insert connecting the enlarged portion of the bore with the opening in said tube, said insert having the inner end projecting inwardly beyond the adjacent end of the tube into the opening in said supply container and having the outer end projecting beyond the opening in said tube whereby fluid passes solely through the bore in the insert between the supply container and the opening in said tube, a valve member having a stem projecting into the tube through the outer end thereof and threaded into the enlarged portion of the bore in the insert, and a reduced part on the inner end of the valve stem engageable with the valve seat.

2. The regulating valve assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the inner end of the tube is permanentl secured to the container to form a unit with the latter.

CARROLL M. BREED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 371,158 Wright Oct. 4, 1887 595,231 Wilder Dec. '7, 1897 816,201 Wilder Mar. 27, 1906 1,188,782 Hoffman June 2'7, 1916 1,262,823 Merrill Apr. 16, 1918 1,379,139 Teste May 24, 1921 1,637,230 Mueller July 26, 1927 2,340,008 Matuszak Jan. 25, 1944 

